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Enabling profitable growth of Enterprise Software companies

Committed Ownership

Growing a software company takes experience, inspiration, perseverance and long-term commitment. We believe that business owners need to focus their attention on building a sustainable business, and not on exiting that business. So worrying about exit strategies and exit horizons is not something the Forward team wastes its time on. We call it our “no exit” strategy.

Our success is your success

Forward actively participates in its group companies. Yes we invest money, but more importantly, we invest considerable amounts of time and expertise. The Forward partners have a long and successful track record in the enterprise software industry and support the group companies in many ways. Among others our Forward partners will often join the management teams of group companies for an extended period, helping to capitalize on sales opportunities or develop customer projects.

Putting our customers first

Forward Group Companies put their customers first. Our starting point is to thoroughly understand your business and the needs and expectations of your customers and other stakeholders.Our goal is to build life-long relationships with our customers. Solutions delivered by Forward Group Companies enable customers to become more customer-centric, more energized, more competitive and more profitable. Through this approach we build long-term, successful partnerships that benefit both parties.

Vision followed by execution

Members of the Forward Group need to have a clear vision on where their business is going. History proves that it is operational focus and ruthless execution that builds really great software companies that last. The Forward team drives the development of strategies and operations that generate results. This can include managing marketing and sales operations as well as streamlining product management and development.

Forward Enterprises

The mission of Forward Enterprises is to build a portfolio of leading enterprise software companies. We realize this goal by acquiring significant interests in innovative software businesses. Forward is an active partner in the management of its group companies. We are committed to building healthy, sustainable and customer-centric businesses that succeed and last the course. Forward currently owns controlling stakes in a number of successful software companies.

Forward Partners in Expansion

The mission of Forward Partners in Expansion is to provide enterprise software and software service companies with general, marketing, sales and channel management support, both nationally and internationally. We prefer to share risks and success with our customers and to act as entrepreneurs rather than management consultants. We accept to both short term and long term assignments.

Group Companies

Oxineo is a provider of Microsoft Sharepoint based software solutions and services. Customers include companies such as Aramco, SER, Norit and Bruna.

InnoQare provides a breakthrough approach to significantly improve the utilization of healthcare resources, leading to a substantially reduced length of stay for patients, reduced costs and improved quality of care. InnoQare develops and supplies its own healthcare implementation of a management approach on the basis of the "Theory of Constraints", supported by innovative software.

Innovites is a software company focused on developing and selling ERP solutions for the wire and cable manufacturing industry. Customers include companies such as Rhenania, RR Kabel Ltd., Vatan Kablo, Austech Wire and Cable and Neolex Cables.

Profity is a software company focused on developing and selling ERP solutions for project driven manufacturing companies such as steel construction companies, precast manufacturers and facade manufacturers.

Didata is a software company developing and selling software solutions with two focus areas: repair, overhaul, maintenance for dealer/service organisations and an end-to-end business solution including an integrated web shop for technical wholesalers.

Exits

Xebic started as Baan Research in 1997 and continued as Xebic in 2001. Forward acquired a significant stake in the company in 2004. In 2005 Forward exited Xebic by selling the tools development activity to Cordys (currently OpenText). The application development team continued independently as Xebic.

Sofon, a software developer in the area of contract and quotation management was founded in 1998. In 2001 Forward started a close cooperation with the founder and jointly developed Sofon to a financially sound, internationally leading and sophisticated player in its field. Forward successfully exited Sofon early 2014 after Main Capital took a significant stake in Sofon in 2012.

COAS is a custom software developer in the area of in product design, manufacturing and logistics. Forward has facilitated the COAS success by becoming a significant shareholder in 2005. Over the years COAS has shown a steady and profitably growth. Forward has successfully exited COAS in 2015 by selling its stake to one of the original COAS shareholders.

VitalHealth Software is a provider of innovation solutions for health management. VitalHealth was founded in 2005 by its CEO Laurens van der Tang, with support from Mayo Clinic - the world's largest integrated health practice - and Noaber Foundation, a Netherlands based foundation focused on social venturing. Forward has successfully exited in 2017 when Philips acquired VitalHealth Software.

CoMakeIT is a co-maker for product software companies who want to outsource strategic software development activities to India, while achieving great quality and fast time-to-market at the lowest possible costs. CoMakeIT's development center is located in Hyderabad. The company also has an office in Baarn, The Netherlands. Forward successfully exited CoMakeIT in April 2018.

Forward Group Management Team

The Forward Group Management team consists of seasoned professionals, each with over 25 years of experience in building and managing Enterprise Software companies.